Leaving
by Gov.McCarthy
Summary: Cosette meets a lady coming to the Thenardier Inn. Little does she know this may change the course of her life. This lady likes her and wants to take her to a kind, loving, environment. Will Cosette go with her? Rated T for abuse of children.
1. The Lady

Cosette sighed as she scrubbed the floors of the inn. Madame had beaten her just one hour before for daydreaming and she hoped not to have to endure that again. She suddenly heard talking from the back of the room and raced there to hear the commotion. Madame was talking to a well dressed woman who appeared to be rich. Cosette timidly touched Madame's skirts.

''What the hell do you want''? She asked her angrily. ''M-Madame, who is this lady''? Cosette barely talked above a whisper. ''It is none of your concern but she will be staying at the inn tonight. Come here now''. Madame grabbed Cosette hard by the arm and dragged the little girl into another room. She knelt down to her face and slapped her. ''If you cause any trouble while she is her I will tan you so bad you can dig your own grave you little slut''. Cosette gulped. ''Oui, I won't cause any trouble I promise, Madame''. The Thenardier women shoved her back and went out to talking some more. Cosette went back out to her work. She saw Madame and the woman come into the room and watched as Madame showed her the rooms up the stairs.'' Cosette''! ''Coming''! Cosette had the woman's luggage shoved onto her skinny arms. 'Take this up for the lady', Madame ordered her. 'O-Oui'' Cosette walked up the stairs with the guest behind her. The lady looked at the barefoot, dirty child covered in bruises before talking to her.

''What is your name''? She asked the little girl. ''Cosette, Madame'' Cosette said. The lady was silent for a minute until she stopped at a room. 'This is where I am staying' she said. Cosette dropped the heavy bags on the floor. ''Is that woman your mother''? The woman asked Cosette. Cosette shook her head.

"No Madame. She is my mistress. She and her husband took me in when I was young''.

"Oh". The woman was silent and then walked into her room with Cosette behind. She then took a coin out of her pocket and handed it to Cosette. "Here, she said. "This is for your good service". She put it in the pocket of Cosette's dirty apron. "Merci, Madame, Merci," the happy child said. "you are welcome, dear," the lady said," It was my pleasure". As Cosette left the room the lady smiled at her and Cosette felt good inside. This may turn out well for her.

To be continued…


	2. Midnight talk

That night Cosette hid under the stairs knitting as Madame and Monsieur welcomed more guests to get drunk and then rob. Cosette saw the lady come down the stairs and sit at a table. Madame approached her and then walked back to the kitchen, when Cosette heard her call to her harshly to bring the lady some wine. Cosette raced into the kitchen and back towards the table the lady was sitting at. Before she could get there she slipped at a table where some wine had spilled on the floor. Madame raced over to her, shouting. "What did you do here you little whore"?! That was one of our finest bottles"! "P-please forgive me Madame" Cosette stuttered in fear. "It was an accident". "No excuse"! Madame Thenardier was furious. The lady raced over to her. "I am not upset, Madame" she said. "The child did not do it on purpose." Madame Thenardier looked at the lady. "I am so sorry Madame for this impudent little brat here, she will be punished accordingly. The lady tried to talk more but the woman would have none of it. She grabbed little Cosette and threw her into the wall. She reached in the corner and pulled out a long leather strap and walked toward the sobbing girl. The lady gasped in horror but was still silent. Madame grabbed the little girl and dragged her into a nearby closet and shut the door. She tied her hands to the pole in the room, tore her dress off her back, and began to brutally beat her. The lady heard her shrieks, pleas, and cries. Unable to take anymore she hurried up the stairs to her room. That night Cosette lay sobbing on her place under the stairs, but she lay on her stomach after the flogging she received. She heard a pitter patter of feet coming down the stairs and began crying. "Don't hurt me Madame please" she begged. But it was not Madame, it was the lady. "Shh little girl I am here". She knelt beside Cosette. "Does that innkeeper beat you like that all the time"? She asked. Cosette nodded. "Well I won't hurt you little girl". "Tomorrow I am checking out of this inn and it will hurt me to leave you knowing you are being treated this way". "There is nothing you can do for me Madame. I must wait until my Mama comes to get me" Cosette said glumly. "I hope you see her soon dear" the lady said. "Thank you" Cosette said softly. The lady looked at Cosette's dirty face and wanted to kiss it because of the way she was treated, but she decided not to and went back to her room. Cosette smiled. The lady reminded her of another lady clad in white she often dreamed about.


	3. My Castle

The morning dawned clear and sunny. The lady was sleeping in her bed when she heard the sound of a broom against the stairs, even thought it was only six in the morning. She opened up the door to see Cosette sweeping the stairs. She walked over to her. "What are you doing up, child"? The lady said so softly Cosette could barely hear her. "I am sweeping, Madame". Cosette said softly. The lady was observing Cosette. "How old are you, love"? She asked the question with curiosity. "7, Madame" said Cosette. The lady glanced down at Cosette to see her bare legs covered in welts and bruises. She knew right away the child was beaten on a regular basis and more than she had just seen the previous night. Her little bare feet and her hands were covered in chilblains. Her clothes were dirty rags full of holes. The lady turned back into her room to give Cosette some candy she had brought in her purse when she heard Madame Thenardier call Cosette to wash the dishes. Cosette raced down the stairs to comply. The lady signed and decided just to stay in her room. She was checking out later that day. But that little girl had pulled the strings of her heart. She wondered where her mother and father were, as she knew the Thenardiers were not her real family. But she had to find a way to get the child out of there. She decided to talk to the innkeepers about the issue later on. As she was opening her door she heard Cosette singing while washing the dishes in the kitchen. She was standing on a stool. The lady heard what a lovely voice and song she had.

"There is a castle on a cloud, I like to go there in my sleep, aren't any floors for me to sweep, not in my castle on a cloud. There is room that' s full of toys, there are a hundred boys and girls, nobody shouts or talks too loud, not in my castle on a cloud. there is a lady all in white, she holds me and sings a lullaby, she's nice to see and she's soft to touch, she says, Cosette, I love you very much. I know a place where no one's lost, I know a place where no one cries, crying at all is not allowed, not is my castle on a cloud".

The lady heard the child and got choked up, warm tears coming to her eyes. She would face and talk to those two innkeepers. This would not go on for the child's sake.


End file.
